Lamine Yamal told Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo comparisons are 'too much' with Barcelona wonderkid at risk of 'erasing his personality'

Speaking to Racing Tipster, former France and Chelsea star Florent Malouda praised Barca and Spain's young winger but resisted the temptation to hype him up too much. He said that comparing the 17-year-old to Messi and Ronaldo is "too much right now" and emphasised the importance of not "erasing his own personality".

Asked what Yamal needs to do to reach the level of Messi or Ronaldo, Malouda said: "That's too much right now, and that's also in a kind of way erasing his own personality. He’s probably inspired by a mix of both, but you can see has his own touch. He has his own personality. Of course he’s still young, but so experienced. I’m not sure that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi did what he did at his age. Now it's more about longevity and how he not only maintains this level but improves. We will be able to compare the three players if he sets goals to achieve and is able to maximise his talent. He should not be just happy with what he's doing because now it feels like he's comfortable. If he sets himself a high standard that matches his talent, I think he can be compared to those two, who are in a league of their own. But there’s a lot of years and games ahead of him to confirm he can meet his potential."

Malouda's comments come in the wake of a gut-wrenching Champions League semi-final defeat for Barca and Yamal, who has been a hugely influential performer for Hansi Flick's side this campaign but ultimately could do nothing to stop Inter's stunningly dramatic advance to the final.

Yamal and his team-mates will have to pick themselves up quickly, as they have the small matter of a La Liga title to win. Positioned four points above arch-rivals Real Madrid, Barca are closing in on the league title and face the prospect of winning it in a derby match against Espanyol that could be played in front of no fans. However, before that, they must navigate an enormous Clasico match that will go a long way towards deciding who gets their hands on this season's La Liga trophy.